There is no such thing as a God-Genie in a bottle.
What do we need to learn before we bring our petitions to God so that we do not try to instruct Him on how and when to answer? This question is often overlooked, but we remember this very situation when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane the night He was betrayed.
Matthew 26 records this very agonizing time for Jesus. He took Peter, James, and John with to watch a pray. Then He said to them, “My soul was exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”
It was not the impending physical suffering that caused Jesus to pray this way. It was the reality of the sinless Son of God bearing the sins, the shame, and the guilt of the world. Jesus also faced the inevitable first-time ever separation from his Father. ‘For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) The Father could not look upon His Son with our sins imputed to Him. Cup is a figure of speech for wrath used in the Old Testament. Jesus became a curse for us and took the brunt of God’s righteous wrath against sin.
Jesus returned to His disciples who had fallen asleep. He awakened them and said, “Watch and pray.” He went away the second time and prayed, “Oh My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
Again, when Jesus returned to the disciples, they were asleep. So He went away the third time and prayed the same words. In His humanity, Jesus did not want to go to the cross, but because of his faithful obedience to His Father and His immense love for humanity, He surrendered His will to the Father. He committed to drinking the full cup of God’s holy wrath against sin.
So what do we learn about prayer – God’s will; not our agenda?
What are some hindrances to effective prayer? *If prayer is said with wrong motives (James 4:3), *if prayer is said with unconfessed sin (Isaiah 59:2), *if prayer is said in pride and arrogance (Isaiah 14:12-26), *if prayers are said with doubt which means lack of faith (James 1:6), or *following a set of ‘rules’ for prayer which leads to one paying more attention to the details of the rules of ‘proper prayer’ than the reason for prayer in the first place, and *long eloquent prayers said to impress God and those around them (Isaiah 9:13 and Matthew 15:8) and *praying against God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).
On the other hand, what makes the prayers of faithful prayer warriors a sweet aroma to God? Think of prayer as an invitation from the Lord God Almighty to those who believe to come to Him with what is on our hearts – no matter how big or how small the burden may be – He listens!
Remember, *God looks at man’s heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and this truth is woven throughout the teachings and actions of Jesus and the apostles. *Do we surrender our will to God’s will since God will work in a way that aligns His will with our faith? *Do we trust Him?*Do we pray with faith? *Do we seek His wisdom and guidance in every area of life? *Do we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise? *Do we acknowledge we can do nothing apart from Jesus? *Do we pray in Jesus’ name since Jesus is the Mediator between God and man? *Do we pray in the Spirit?
There is lots to consider here, I know, but well-worth the effort.
This blog is a condensed version of learning to pray according to God’s will; not our agenda. For a God-honoring prayer life that blesses us and those for whom we pray, follow Jesus’ example and His teachings.
May you be blessed and may your prayer life be enriched in every way.